The spring season is dry and windy, and also a high-incidence period for illnesses, so it is important to focus on dietary therapy and maintenance. In spring, nourishing the lungs through diet is most important, and choosing the right foods is a science in itself; only by learning to select good ingredients can the goal of health preservation be achieved. Generally, foods that nourish the lungs can also enhance the body's own immune function. In our daily diet, foods like almonds, Chinese yam, white radish, lily bulbs, and mung beans are all good moistening lung foods. Let's take a look at which foods are best for clearing the lungs and suitable for health preservation.
I. Black fungus is best eaten cooked
Black fungus not only nourishes the kidneys but also clears the lungs and protects the heart. Regular consumption of black fungus is particularly beneficial for the weak, the elderly, women, and children who are afraid of the cold in winter and have insufficient yang energy.
Black fungus is rich in iron, which can improve blood circulation, help with cold resistance, and has the effects of moisturizing, nourishing, and strengthening the body. In the windy spring with floating dust, black fungus also has a lung-cleansing effect. In addition, the gelatin in black fungus can help expel residual impurities from the digestive tract.
Of course, black fungus is best eaten cooked for a better effect of clearing the lungs and protecting the heart. Before eating, black fungus can be soaked for a longer time, and a little salt can be added to the water to clean it more thoroughly.
II. Eat more water chestnuts to clear the lungs and resolve phlegm
Among foods that clear the lungs and resolve phlegm, water chestnuts are the first choice. Water chestnuts are a cooling food, sweet in taste, and they enter the lung meridian. They have the effects of replenishing qi, stabilizing the middle jiao, clearing heat, quenching thirst, stimulating the appetite, aiding digestion, soothing the throat, improving eyesight, transforming dampness, and resolving phlegm.
In addition, water chestnuts are nutritious, rich in carbohydrates, protein, crude fiber, various vitamins, and minerals. Besides these, they also contain a heat-sensitive antibacterial component called puchien, which has an inhibitory effect on *Staphylococcus aureus*, *E. coli*, *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*, and can also inhibit the influenza virus.
III. Eat lightly and avoid overeating
To clear the lungs, a light diet is the most important; avoid greasy foods and do not eat until you are very full. Some ingredients are beneficial for the lungs and should be eaten regularly, such as jujubes, peanuts, corn, soy products, kelp, lily bulbs, oranges, bananas, apples, and pears. Among these, soy products like tofu and soy milk can be eaten more frequently.
Furthermore, patients with tuberculosis should not only get plenty of rest but should also drink more milk and consume more dairy products, fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and shrimp, and eggs, all of which are beneficial for lung maintenance. It is advisable to eat less salt; adding salt just before the dish is done cooking makes it taste saltier while using less actual salt.
Most importantly, do not eat until you are completely full; seven-tenths full is best each time. Patients with lung disease should avoid alcohol completely and stay away from coffee and spicy foods. It is particularly worth mentioning that honey has excellent health benefits. Drinking some honey in the spring can clear the lungs and replenish qi. It's a good idea to have a cup of warm honey water in the morning and evening. Of course, one more thing is to "try to keep a happy mood".